Christmas

As we build up to Christmas, the air has turned full of festive cheer. Offices are enjoying their parties, the pubs are bustling with joy, and of course Aunts and Uncles are feeling a little merry after one too many glasses of mulled wine.

But whilst Santa might think it’s ok to drink drive, enjoying his glass of sherry as he moves from chimney to chimney, Gloucestershire Police are urging people to avoid getting behind the wheel after a few festive tipples.

Almost every day in the run down to Christmas, one family will face the agony of a loved one lost to an alcohol related collision in the UK, along with thousands having their lives altered by the devastating consequences of drink driving.

In 2012, 280 people were killed on the road across Britain due to a driver under the influence, up 17% on the previous year, and it marks a worrying period for an offence that can carry a ban, a fine, and up to 14 years imprisonment.

The legal alcohol limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, but with no assured way of knowing whether you’re over the limit, you could be putting yourself, and others, at a huge risk.

Alcohol affects each person differently and can depend on weight, gender, age, metabolism, and even stress levels. Young people in particularly process alcohol a lot more slowly and are often susceptible to driving over the limit the following day.

The morning after is a dangerous period for motorists. Over half the population are unaware when they are fit to drive again after a night drinking alcohol. Police figures from 2011 show that more people failed breath tests between the hours of 6am and 11am than during the hour before and after midnight.

According to drink-driving-limit.co.uk just five bottles of lager will leave you unable to drive for at least 11 hours, whilst a bottle of wine at 11pm will prevent you from getting behind the wheel until after the following midday.

Police in Gloucestershire have already charged 20 people this Christmas who will now face a possible ban to start the New Year, but the impact could be a lot more serious.

The government’s THINK! campaign launched The Snowball Effect at the beginning of the month and aims to highlight the risks people run should they drive under the influence.

Up to one million people could run the risk of being dismissed from their employment should they receive a drink drive conviction, with also around three-quarters of employers admitting to taking an offence into account when hiring prospective employees.

Kicking off the Snowball Effect, Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said, “Just one drink can put you over the limit and the consequences are devastating – not only will you be cuffed and put in a cell, but if you’re convicted you will lose your licence and, as this research shows, you could even lose your job.”

And for those who have already been convicted, their lives have changed dramatically. A survey by Drink Driver Education showed that 28% of people worried about applying for jobs because of their record, whilst almost half of the convicted said their social lives have dramatically changed.

A mother-of-two from the county was banned for 15 months following three glasses of wine just a few miles from her home.

“The worst for me was the fact that my parents, who are in their late 80s, live an hour-and-a-half away. It now takes a taxi, two train journeys and a half-mile walk to get to them. I pray that they don’t get taken ill as I cannot get to them quickly now.”

It can be a very lonely and isolated experience being convicted of drink driving, so as you’re toasting the festive period and New Year, ensure you take extra precautions to ensure you stay safe on the roads this Christmas.

Just a plea (yes, I’m on my knees) to ask that if you’re doing a lot of shopping online (like I am) please can you consider also supporting Severn FM – the Community Radio Station for Gloucester, by shopping through a fundraising portal, so those you shop from will donate to the station and help keep it running.

If you shop online with retailers like Amazon, ebay, Argos, Tesco and Marks and Spencer, please help raise money for Severn FM by doing it through easyfundraising.org.uk.

It works in a similar way to many other loyalty shopping sites, but instead of earning points, you raise money for Severn FM whenever you shop online. Over 2000 retailer will each donate up to 15% of the cost of your shopping. It won’t cost you a penny more to shop via easyfundraising.org.uk and by making this one small change to your shopping habits, you could make a big difference to Severn FM.

What a week this has been in “Severn FM Land”. we have been broadcasting for just over a week now and are a quarter of the way through our Broadcast period. I think the best thing is where so many people have come forward and supported the station, be it in passing round the word and leaflets, to learning how to become a presenter and filling programme slots. In whatever capacity, the idea of the community coming together to provide a local service is really happening.

From schools to Councils and a variety of community groups have already been able to tell the community what they are up to and how they contribute to our area. This is something that we have not had before and I think having a vehicle to raise the awareness of groups is already having a positive effect. But there is even stories behind the “simpler” music programmes, from The Vicar who has his techno trance show, to the folks who are just learning for the first time, everyone is learning new skills and building on the knowledge they currently have and putting it into a new context.

For myself, I am really enjoying being part of the Breakfast show with Andy Clarke and Caro Kingsnorth, we have a really good giggle in the mornings and hope that comes across to the listeners. I have also been sitting in on other shows and helping out where I can. I’m looking forward to my annual leave starting in a few days so I can try my hand at my own show and therefore be able to facilitate more people taking part.

With 3 weeks to go, there is a lot of scope for getting involved, either as an individual and volunteering your skills or if you have a business, you can advertise and support a local community project.

If you want to come and see what we have built and what we are doing, please do shout, I’m more than happy to show people what a community can do when they put their minds to it 🙂

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I hope you all have a great Christmas and that you are with those you love, that you can eat and drink too much and relax.

But do spare a thought for those who are apart from their loved ones because they are serving their country, or for those who are ill over this period (which seems to be quite a lot of people with various winter ills).

Most of all, take some time for yourself to reflect over the past year.